Street-Fighting Mathematics (2008)

I've read this book. It's definitely one of the more interesting and readable maths texts out there. I wasn't exactly sure I'd use the methods. Working as a mechanical engineer I probably go straight to numerical methods, or approximate things even more crudely and approximately than a mathematician's 'rough' work. Though "replace a complicated function with a rectangle" definitely resonated. Overall the impression was that it was full of great techniques for mathematicians and scientists puzzling out every bit of meaning they can from a situation whose true features aren't yet known.

This is a good book. Also, any time this kind of book becomes available (be it a 100 year old one or a new one), it is worth looking into - great improvements in isnight and simplicity are possible above the "baseline" of US math education today.

So for example, I posit that the engineers or scientists you might admire from the 1950's didn't learn calculus or linear algebra the way you did.

I also quite liked https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/res-6-011-the-art-of-insight-in-...

Which is, I think, the successor and quite useful.

Book PDF is here: https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph-pdf/2284035/book_9...

Another book title aimed at getting people who haven’t read their pile of books to buy another.

what is it about?

how to distribute fighters so that your team defeats-in-detail your opponents?